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Sheffield in General

“
Sheffield is a major city and metropolitan borough in South Yorkshire, in the north of England. It is so named because of its origins in a field on the River Sheaf that runs through the city. The city has grown from its largely industrial roots to encompass a wide economic base. The population of the City of Sheffield is estimated at 520,700 people (2005), and it is one of the eight largest English cities outside London that form the English Core Cities Group. „

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Great nightlife.

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A lovely small city to visit, I doubt you will get lost here!

I am originally from Cheshire, but I've actually been living in Sheffield for the past year (I was very familiar with the city even before I moved here) and it's actually a pretty interesting place to live.

I practically live in the city centre, so it's really only a short walk to get to the high street, so I suppose I will be basing most of this review around the actual city centre, rather than the outlying areas.

Shopping...

I think Sheffield is a fantastic little shopping destination, the city centre might not be as big as Manchester, but we still have a great range of high street and boutique shops in the city. I really like the fact that the city if fairly compact, as everything you could possibly want is in walking distance, and the city is quite easy to navigate. Sheffield has all the shops you would expect situated around Fargate, such as Topshop, Marks and Spencer, River Island, H&M, New Look, the list goes on really! There are also some independent, alternative shops in The Forum which is on Devonshire Street, and I would really recommend having a little look in there if you are after something different and original. If you are willing to go on a little 15 minute tram ride, you can get to one of the main shopping destinations in Sheffield, which is Meadowhall mall/shopping centre. This is quite similar to the Trafford Centre, and features loads of highstreet shops, as well as a cinema and food court. It does get incredibly busy on weekends though, which is why it has earned it's nickname of 'Meadowhell' - still worth a good look around!

Culture...

Sheffield has a surprising array of cultural events all year around. We also have a number of art galleries in the city centre, most notably the Millennium Galleries, which you can reach via the Winter Gardens. It's a lovely little gallery, and it's all completely free. They have various exhibits on throughout the year, recently they have had an exhibition by Sheffield based graffiti artist Kid Acne, which I found to be really fascinating. They also have a great shop which stocks various art books and cards, plus a cafe on the lower ground floor. Sheffield also plays host to the Graves Gallery which has a permanent collection of artworks, and as it's also free, it's definitely worth a look. If you would like to find out more about Sheffield's galleries, then here is the link to their website - http://www.museums-sheffield.org.uk.

Sheffield is currently hosting the World Snooker Championships at The Crucible theatre, so if you are an enthusiast it might be worth coming into town for that alone! You can actually see some of the players in the Winter Gardens, today I managed to spy Steve Davies being interviewed for a tv show.

As I mentioned above, Sheffield as two main theatre venues - The Crucible, and The Lyceum which are handily situated right next to each other in Tudor Square. Both venues are super easy to find, and there are always a lot of interesting productions running. Please feel free to have a look at their website - http://www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk/.

Eating out...

There is such an incredible variety of restaurants and cafes in Sheffield that it's hard to know where to start. In the centre of town you can find lots of popular chain restaurants such as All Bar One, Prezzo, Cafe Rouge, and Wetherspoons. I would recommend having a look in Leopold Square, which is filled with good eateries, you will be able to find everything from Japanese, to Italian and Indian, so it's a good little destination. There are also some super deli's available in the city centre, my personal recommendation would be Feast which is located on Chapel Walk, they stock lots of freshly made sandwiches, which are always of a high standard. They certainly have some pretty unusual choices - such as the onion bhaji sandwich, I don't think I've seen that anywhere else!

Transport...

It's very easy to get to Sheffield via bus or train, and there is even a free city centre bus called FreeBee. The train station is just a 5 minute walk from the city centre, and there are plenty of signs to help guide you. There is also the tram service that links Sheffield to some of the outlying towns such as Hillsborough. I would recommend getting a day rider ticket from the tram so you can have a really good look around, and maybe even have a trip to Meadowhall, or the other shopping centre Crystal Peaks. They are very frequent, so you won't be waiting long at all, and there are plenty of stops dotted along the high street.

All in all, I think Sheffield is a lovely city to visit, it always looks clean and tidy, and there is plenty to see and do. Another great thing is the City Centre Ambassadors you will see walking around the city, so if you do find yourself needing some help or information, you won't have to struggle for long.

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A lovely city just waiting to be explored

Let me start by saying I am not Yorkshire born and bred so this is actually a fairly unbiased review. I am from the Lake District originally and came here to go to University so the relocation was not as a result of a strong desire to live in Sheffield particularly. However, here I am 8 years later! So what made me stay?

NightlifeSheffield's nightlife, mush like the city itself is a great balance between that of a massive city and a small town. We have some great larger clubs (Sheffield hosted Gatecrasher for many years until a fire at the venue put a stop to it) and some smaller, boutique late bars. To say there is variety would be an understatement. There are pop clubs and bars, including the ubiquitous Reflex and Flares; Yorkshire's best Rock club, Corporation; and the famous Leadmill for a good mix of everything. There are lots of unique, upmarket wine bars, some in the city centre and some in the more refined Ecclesall Road which is home to boho chic independent shops during the day.

RestaurantsAnything and everything. No, really. At Valley Centretainment (try and ignore the tragic name!) there are the usual chain restaurants like Chiquitos and Frankie and Benny's. There are plenty of good foreign cuisine restaurants towards the suburbs and on West Street. Then there is the newly regenerated Leopold Square, again mainly chain restaurants but all new for Sheffield-Wagamama, Zizzi and Strada would be sorely missed now.

GreeneryThis is a fairly green city in itself with many parks dotted around but best of all the wonderful Botanical Gardens. With a fabulous Victorian glasshouse pavilion and every flower imaginable it is a lovely place to spend a lazy afternoon with the squirrels. I even considered getting married here. There are also the relatively new Winter Gardens in the city centre-basically a giant greenhouse of tropical plants alongside a great little museum.Moreover, Sheffield is right on the edge of the peak district so the national park is easily accessible by bus, train or car.

Arts and cultureThere are some great little gems of museums in Sheffield, my favourite being Weston Park Museum (I have reviewed that separately). However there is also the museum at the Winter gardens which has a permanent John Ruskin exhibit that I love. There's also a fire and police service museum in the town centre. There are two main art galleries in the city centre, both next to the winter gardens. As far as theatre goes, it doesn't get much better than the Crucible. This theatre is currently undergoing an expensive refurbishment, including adding an amazing retractable floor! Next door is the Lyceum theatre, equally good in standards and both showing a wide range of performances through the year. There's also City Hall which hosts music, orchestras and comedians. I've had many a giggle in the memorial hall here.

LocationOn the edge of the peak district and Derbyshire, there is plenty to do just outside of Sheffield. Within a short drive you can reach the market towns of Bakewell and Matlock which are a great day out. Also nearby is Chatsworth House and gardens, especially lovely when the Christmas market is on and the house is decorated with several different kinds of Christmas decorations. There are also various country parks nearby, Clumber and Rother Valley being the best. Manchester and Leeds are less than an hour's drive away and Nottingham is not much further. This makes Sheffield a great location!

Public transport linksSheffield has a great public transport system. Buses to the most popular areas of the city run every six minutes so there's not usually a long wait at the bus stop. The commuter train services mean that you can reach Leeds or Manchester in 40-45 minutes. Best of all is the Supertram service. Stretching right across the city and way out into the suburbs it is great value for money and goes most of the places you'd want to visit-making out of town shopping very accessible to those who don't drive.

So that's Sheffield in a nutshell. There's plenty more I could say but these are the highlights and hopefully give you a good idea of what the city is like.

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worth a visit to find out if you like it

Sheffield like most cities has good and bad points.

TransportThere are good transport links to sheffield and lots of ways of getting around. The M1 offers a quick way to get to sheffield. The national express runs coaches to here and there is a large train station.

While in Sheffield there are two main bus companies first and stagecoach that run buses around the city. The day savers can be expensive though at £4 on first (not sure about stagecoach). Another option is the supertram there are three routes yellow, blue and purple. A day rider on the tram costs £3.50.

Driving round sheffield can be a nightmare. There are few parking spaces in the city and sheffield roads are famous for thier pot holes. Some roads are badly designed and one breakdown or traffic light failure can cause cauos!

FacilitiesRight now you are in Sheffield you will probably want to go to the toilet. Not so easy in the city centre as there are few toilets. The ones I can remember are in the millenium galleries, town hall (but these cost 20p) bottom of the moor and in the train station.

ActivtiesIn Sheffield there is a choice of things to do. There are plenty of sport options to play and watch.

There are four cinemas including one which shows independant films, and two theaters.

The milenium galleries is a good place to kill half an hour and is free except in one room where there is usually a special exhibition which is extra. Other places to visit in sheffield is kellham island which is an industrial museum and worth a visit, and weston park museum which is free and has recently been revamped.

Parks and GardensThe peace gardens and winter gardens in the city centre and a nice place to sit and have something to eat.

Another park near the city centre is weston park (which houses the mueum mentioned above). In this park is a boating lake, bandstand and tennis courts.

Botanical gardens is another place which people recommend to visit (I haven't been recently so can't comment personally).

Graves park and heeley have animal farms which are both free and good for younger children to visit.

ShoppingMedowhall is the place to visit for shopping and houses many named shops. There is a big car park and it is straight off the M1. Buses and trams also stop here.

In the city centre fargate is the best place to shop. Here there are some more known shops such as marks and spencers, next and top shop etc. The moor is currently being redeveloped and not much is open down there at the moment.

EatingThere are plenty of the usual takeaways in Sheffield: chinese, indian, pizza and fish and chip shops.

There are also the normal fast food places: macdonalds, kfc etc.

Another option is to try a sandwhich shop there are plenty of these around to.

A few pubs do meals but I can't comment on them as I haven't eaten out in many pubs in Sheffield.

NightlifeIt depends what you are into as to where to go. The carling acdameny is good for live bands, leadmill is good if you don't want to dress up and flares is where to go if you want a cheesy night out.

West street is probably the most popular street for nights out drinking and there are lots of drinking bars on this street mainly aimed at the younger adults.

Ecclesall road is popular for students as this is where most of the student accomodation is based.

There are still a number of pubs around the city the main one recommended being the pub near kelham island.

OverallSheffield is like Marmite you either love it or hate it. It's worth a visit to find out which category you fall into .

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Come and give us a go!!!!

Sheffield is the place where i was born and have lived here all my life. I am a Yorkshire lass, born and bred (and i have had a few comments about my accent!!!! Apparently i have a broad Yorkshire accent!).

Over the years Sheffield has had its ups and downs, just as much as any other city, but with the re-development of the town centre it has maybe put a lot of people off from coming to Sheffield and still enjoy what is on offer.

Sheffield has fabulous transport links via the motorway and public transport. It has a brilliant bus service that links up with various other towns, villages and cities in South Yorkshire and the services are fairly regular.

The town centre has had quite a lot of re-development, and as mentioned, is still undergoing this at the moment. The re-development started a good few years back near Fargate, which is one of the main shopping areas in the town centre. For those of you who know, and remember, the 'hole in the road' was the start of the major re-development, i would say. The 'hole in the road' was a walkway for pedestrians under the main thouroughfare of the town centre. It was called 'the hole in the road' due to the fact that it wasn't covered in. There was a fish tank placed in the wall, and became quite a famous meeting spot for me and my friends! (I miss that!!). The Peace Gardens has also had a facelift and is a good place to sit down and watch the world go by! The Peace Gardens is situated at the side of the Town Hall on Fargate.Nowadays, the town centre is under going a complete re-haul. Shops and buildings on The Moor have nearly all been demolished and the plan is to build an undercover market along with shops. I am hoping that this will continue, as work has been halted due to finances. The Moor is just a short walk from the High Street.

When you visit Sheffield you may notice that people tend to seperate the town centre. There are the markets (known as fish market, but does include other stalls!), Fitzalens Square (just up from the markets and Ponds Forge), High Street, Fargate, top of The Moor and bottom of The Moor. If you start from the markets you can follow the list above in sequence!You have a variety of shops throughout the town centre and i beg people to tell me when they have not found what they may have been looking for!!! The big department stores are there i.e. TJ Hughes, Debenhams, Atkinsons etc.Of course, you can also visit Meadowhall, situated on the outskirts of Sheffield. Personally, i am not a fan of Meadowhall. I prefer the town centre, but not everyone is the same!There is some amazing architecture within the town centre. I do think that sometimes this can be overlooked by people, whether you live in Sheffield, or are just visiting.

Sheffield has lots of places to visit and has numerous museums and places of interest. The Cathedral on the High Street is a lovely place to visit, and while you are walking on the pavement outside, look under your feet, as you are actually walking on the graves of some of the dearly departed of Sheffield! You will see inscriptions on some of the pavement slabs.There are various museums to visit, but one of my favourites has to be Weston Park museum, which is just outside the town centre. Take the number 52 bus to the childrens hospital, and the museum is opposite. It has recently has a re-furb of the building and grounds and is superb. The cafe is also a lovely place to relax. I regular meet up with friends there for a coffee and chat!You can access all of the attractions and places of interest really easily using public transport, either bus or tram.

Sheffield has some lovely parks that you can visit, and in the summer time there may be events running at the parks. Endcliffe park and Graves park are 2 of the most popular.

Sheffield is built on 7 hills, so if you have not visited before, you may have to walk up some hills to get where you're going! If you are stopping in the town centre, then you will be perfectly safe!!

An added bonus of Sheffield is the fact that it is situated next to some of the most beautiful and amazing countryside. You can visit Chatsworth House, Bakewell village, Conisborough Castle and other places really easily from the town centre. Public transport is available to go to various places outside Sheffield and is usually every hour or more regular.

Sheffield has always been famous for steel and the steelworks that were situated at Attercliffe. Attercliffe is the main area for foundrys, units and other firms. I only live up the road from Attercliffe, just off Peter Street for any of you who know, and can always remember the siren going off for lunchtime at the steelworks and other firms. All the workmen used to come to my local corner shop, and most of them bought dripping sandwiches! Since the steelworks disappeared and other firms closed, i saw a decline in Sheffield generally, but now things have picked up and can only get better!

There are lots of attractions in Sheffield, some brilliant hotels to stay at and lots to do. Don't be put off by the re-development. I would say to any of you to come and visit Sheffield as i know you will enjoy it. Of course, i am biased, so come and try it for yourself!!

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Not as good as I expected

I visited Sheffield and to be totally honest didn't really like it. I had always thought that it would be a pretty large city with a range of great shops.

My aim of the visit was to go to Sheffields museum to see the Vivienne Westwood exhabition. After getting off the coach my first impression was that it looked a clean city, pretty modern with loads of water features! We visited the museum and it was really good. It was clean and interesting and well kept. I would recommend it to anyone.

Afterwards we went to look around the town for a bite to eat. Walking into the town we were impressed it looked very nice and modern. But the closer we got to the shops the more derilict it looked. To be fair the way we were heading was being re-developed but even the shops such as Woolworths and Debenhams were all old and shabby. The shops didn't look well looked after and cared about. We found some dinner- a jacket potato from a lovely little stand. It only cost £2.40 and was huge!We did have a look in the Woolworths cafe and the food didn't look to good... all they had was a shriveled up breakfast. Nothing else that was on the menu just the breakfast. I am a vegetarian so this didn't appeal to me.

It was getting near the end of the day when we found the more decent shops down the other end of the town. The Primark, Lush, New Look and so on. But we got there at about half four and they were all closed! I know shops shut early on a Sunday but I live in Leeds and they don't close until about 5. We did get a look in John Lewis' which we wanted to as we don't currently have one in Leeds so that was nice.

I do have to admit that I think that since Meadowhall opened it has took away a lot of the citys trade. A lot of the shops looked like they hadn't been open in years.Personally I wouldn't visit again.

Plus points : Nice train station, good museum and a great department store called Atkinsons where they have a Muffin the Mule ride that only costs 2p!!!!!

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Five years after my last visit to Sheffield left me feeling rather underwhelmed, the South Yorkshire city renowned for steel and cutlery manufacture has received a city centre facelift. Its collection of fine Victorian buildings at the heart of the city has been enhanced by the addition of a magnificent modern piazza, called the Peace Gardens, in front of the City Hall, and the landmark Winter Gardens a few steps away, where exotic plants and palms nestle in a serence space beneath a spectacular roof. It's all part of the Heart Of The City project which aims to put the former back into the latter and provide an impressive series of urban setpieces. Away from these, however, there's little to trouble your camera - much of Sheffield is ugly on a heroic scale, be it the bleak expanses of ring road such as Arundel Gate or the charmless shopping street of The Moors. It's this sheer lack of citywide visual appeal that has led the city to be rather ignored by the nation at large, especially compared to nearby cities such as Leeds, Manchester and Nottingham. But a city is more than just a collection of pretty buildings; Sheffield still has a certain something that appeals. And that something is the unrivalled warmth, friendliness and wit of its people, noticeable on even the most fleeting of visits. Perhaps this is why graduates of the University of Sheffield speak of the city with such profound affection. Any visitor to the city should of course check out the aforementioned Millennium projects, especially the Winter Gardens; from there, linger in the Peace Gardens before heading to Division Street which is the centrepiece of the Devonshire Quarter, a young and vibrant area of interesting individual shops, such as the modern-day youth bazaar The Forum. On a sunny Saturday, this area hums with a wonderful vibe, with young people relaxing in the neighbouring Devonshire Green, a scruffy expanse of lawn overlooked by expensive new condos. This are a links in nicely with the University district based around the lively, up-and-coming West Road, distinguished by its cafes, bars and student-oriented shops, as well as the immense noise of Sheffield's huge, lumbering trams that are only a decade old but sound a century older. If time permits, a tentative exploration of the embryonic Cultural Industries Quarter by the railway station can be rewarding. Aesthetically, I'd advise lowering your expectations, although there are a couple of superb modern buildings amidst the unassuming low rise, including the now-defunct National Centre For Popular Music. The Site art gallery and cafe is now the principal distraction in this area. Sheffield's nightlife is regarded as very good but if clubbing and bar life don't rock your world then the city's probably not in itself worth an overnight stay. An enjoyable day can be had, though, especially if you have lunch at the marvellous Olive Garden cafe near the Winter Gardens (above a historic health food shop) and afternoon snack on waffles from the Double Dutch Pancake Bar in Orchard Square.

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Having lived in SHEFFIELD for 8 years, I have found this city to be alive, theres so much to do here, as i work in a night club i see all the local people, really the night life is so real, we have the top nightspots in the country and people come from far and wide. I also work at both the football grounds in the city as a steward, and i see many fans from far and wide and the away supporters often say how wonderful the grounds are and what a delight sheffield people are. The transport links in sheffield are also wonderful we have tram, train and bus and they run very often. Really this city was once based on the steel industry, much of this has died now we look forward to a city of leisure whatever your needs whatever your sport Sheffield is the place for you. Thanks for reading as this is my first review I would welcome any feedback.

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Having recently graduated from university and moved back to south, I realised once again that Sheffield (where I spent 3 years of my life) is one of the most underrated cities of England, with everyone having the impression that Sheffield is only the "Steel City"and nothing more. What I will try to do here is give 6 reasons why (in my opinion) Sheffield should be proud of.For more info on each one please see relevant opinions written by other members (or wait for future reviews by me!!). 1. MEADOWHALL In reality I don't think that this is the best thing that Sheffield has, however it's one of its most famous attractions and hence I started with it. Meadowhall, situated in the outskirts of Sheffield in an area formerly known for its factories, is one of the biggest shopping centres in the UK and one of the biggest in Europe with over 270 stores in 2 levels, covering every interest and life aspect. There you can find shops from the biggest branches (like "House of Fraser" and "M&S"), you can play games in the arcade, eat in one of its 30 restaurants, watch a movie in the MGM cinema or just enjoy the decorations and one of the hundred eventshappeningthere each months. Since Christmas are coming, I shouldn't forget to mention that up to Christmas' Eve the children could visit Santa's Workshop and speak to Santa Claus or watch one of the musical Christmas' performances happening in the shopping mall during this period. Even if you don't want to spend you should gothere,just for the experience. 2. BOTANICAL GARDENS The Botanical Gardens are situated in the southwest of the city near Eclessall Road and opened to the general public in 1898.Owned by the Town Trust and managed by Sheffield City Council appears to be the ideal place for a peaceful walk during a warm day: With about 19 acres of land and about 5,000 plant species, its one of the safest and best places to enjoy your walk and lunch. Maybe not the best place to go in the winter but definitely a "must" in the summer. 3. PEACE GARDENS When I first came in Sheffield during our lunch breaks we used to go and sit to the Peace Gardens which were situated in the city centre next to Town Hall. Imagine how dissapointed I was when they closed down-hopefully this was not for long. Peace Gardens re-opened in 1998 with less plants and flowers than before but with a very beautiful fountain in the middle and lots of green around it. The whole site changed as well and was turned into a small"jewel" for Sheffield. 4. CRUCIBLE THEATER - LYCEUM I know that possibly most of you don't go to the theater often- the high ticket prices make it impossible for most of us to go more often than twiceper season. This would be far different(in my opinion) if you lived in a city like Sheffield. Not only the city has two main stages (located in the city centre) but also the productions presented there, are amongst the best of the country, often rated above many ambitious West-End productions. In addition, the prices are within one's means and can be considered quite reasonable even for unfunded students. 5. SHEFFIELD UNIVERSITY Sheffield University is one of the oldest universities in the UK being formed in 1897 by the amalgamation of three local institutions (Sheffield School of Medicine, Firth College and the Sheffield Technical School). In 2001, Sheffield University was named "UK University of the Year" by Sunday Times being first in several categories. The Medical School of the university is amongst the best rated in the country, with the university totalling more than 18,000 students. 6.SHEFFIELD HALLAM UN IVERSITY Being a student in Sheffield Hallam University for 3 years, I must say that I'm not the most appropriate person to give a clear opinion for it,hence I will use only facts and figures. SHU was awarded university status in 1992 but its improvement since then was amazing: For 4 years it was given the title of the "best new university of the year" by Sunday Times, offers a total of 650 (!!) courses and has more than 24,000 students. Additionally SHU has one of the most modern and well-equiped learning centres in the UK (The Adsetts centre) and has currently 3 campuses situated in 3 different parts of Sheffield. Maybe its not as famous as Sheffield University but it's getting better every year. FURTHER COMMENTS Surely Sheffield has more than that: Its pubs are rated amongst the best in Britain, its amongst the safest cities in the UK (relatively to its population), is amongst the least "expensive" cities in the country and definitely has changed quite a lot since I first came. Maybe it's not the most beautiful city in the country but it surely worths a visit --------------------------------------------- Please feel free to make any suggestions for changes/additions you think are necessary. Helpful comments are always welcome-Please don't forget this is my first op.

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It’s a strange feeling I must admit to be contemplating leaving the place you call home. This weekend I depart the city I have lived in for the past four years, I’m leaving although sadly not on a jetplane. So as a kind of tribute to my time in the city I am penning this opinion. Sheffield may have not always the most pleasant place in the world to live, it’s never going to win an award for the most attractive but even so I know I’m going to miss it. You can’t spend a significant portion of you life in a place and not leave a part of you behind when you move on. Sheffield is England’s fourth city (after London, Birmingham and Manchester) although admittedly you’d be hard pressed to tell if you visit the city centre. It's also supposedly Britain's 'greenest' city, although ditto again. What follows is part guide, part tribute and part rant. This is my feelings toward the city I have lived, studied and worked in for the past four years, one in which I have spent my first years as an adult. It maybe sentimental, its unashamedly personal but hey no-one is making you read, oh and I’m warning you now it's long too! ~~~~~~~~~~~ History Look, I’m using subtitles! I must be in an organised mood today. So yes history, well unsurprisingly you can find some if look around Sheffield, although all but the last two hundred years or so is fairly well hidden. Whilst the earliest remnants of life is the ruin of an Iron Age fort located about 2 and half miles from the present city centre, Sheffield itself didn’t take shape until the mid twelfth century when a Norman Baron by the name William de Lovetot (great name don’t you think) built a castle. The wooden structure was later replaced by a stone structure which survived up to the Civil War, today the dilapidated Castle Market stands on the site, but hey that’s progress for you. There’s litt le or nothing left of mediaeval and early modern Sheffield, the Manor Lodge built in 1516 still stands and housed the unfortunate Mary Queen of Scots for several years but apart from that don’t expect any aged wonders. Steel has been made in the city practically since its invention and indeed two different types of steel were created here: Crucible Steel and Sheffield plate. I won’t pretend to know exactly what makes these unique but hey it made for an interesting fact right? So the people of Sheffield having been quite taken with the concept of Steel decided to make with it...cutlery. Well it’s perhaps not as exciting as say making swords but people will always need spoons right and if your desperate they make kind of an effective weapon (“I’m going to cut out your heart with a spoon” “Why a spoon?” “Because it will hurt more you fool!” Ahem, sorry about that). During the eighteenth and nineteenth century steel manufacture increased exponentially and the great steel mills provided work for the majority of the citie's population. All this continued until the late 60s and early 70s where changes in technology made the majority of the existing mills obsolete and they closed, leaving the city with a huge unemployment problem it has still yet to fully recover from. The city has a number of other claims to fame, the world’s first football club was founded here in 1857 and the city is also the home of Bassetts sweets, of Liquorise Allsorts fame. It was the first United Kingdom City of Sport (whatever that actually means) and hosted the Commonwealth Games last time they were held in the UK. The main legacy of which is the massive Ponds Forge sports centre. Today the city apparently makes more steel then it ever did during its heyday, although largely from the one plant. After decades of under investment and general desolation the city is slowly recovering, although the replacement of the steel mill appears to have been the call centre. Its something to do with the Sheffield accent apparently. Speaking as a graduate the chances of finding well paid employment still remain slim in Sheffield unfortunately, there are still very few big companies with offices here, which naturally the reason why I’ve had to move on. The City Centre There something you have to understand about Sheffield before you read this. It claims to be a city and yes technically it is, there is a cathedral (two infact if you count the RC one) but in terms of a big city feel Sheffield is woefully lacking. You see Sheffield is more like a middling sized town with a huge network of villages scattered around it, if you’ve lived in a remote village in say Norfolk all your life then you might find it impressive but having been born and raised in the metropolis of Manchester, Sheffield does not impress me. It just doesn’t have that city air to it, there are few or any high rise buildings and the actual shopping/central business district is compact enough to be walked across at a comfortable pace in under ten minutes. This of course would not be problematic if the city centre was not so rundown. The problems of the last twenty years are writ visibly across the centre's scarred face. Too many buildings look on the verge of collapse, the Castle market area is horrible beyond all description. The Moor shopping precinct is tacky and seedy and the less said about Arundal Gate the better. There is almost nothing that is pleasing on the eye or in any way remarkable. The cathedral is an uninspiring medium sized church in the classic mould, the town hall looks hagged and worn out and sprouts a monstrosity of sixties architecture which resembles a collapsing egg box. The main relief to be found are the pleasant Peace Gardens which were recently rebuilt in an impressive art deco style. Although they are a little spoilt by the eyesore of the town hall extension behind them they are still beautifully designed. A central fountain sprouts regularly and grassy areas are dotted around. When the sun comes out, they become a people magnet, with finding a spare stretch of ground a difficulty but somehow this adds to their charm. For me the abiding memory of them will always be running drunkenly thorugh the fountain with my best friend on the night of my 20th birthday, I was later to be found hugging trees, it was that kind of night. The theatre square is also quite charming, home of the Crucible (yes the one where they have the snooker) and the Lyceum theatres. The square was recently re-laid and is now home to skaters and shoppers having a welcome sit down. They have a huge video screen during the world snooker championships on which you can watch the events. Together the two theatres (three if you count the Crucible studio) form the largest theatre complex outside of London and have played host to some excellent theatre over the years. Two of the productions that stick in my mind are that of ‘A Clockwork Orange’ which was inspired and ‘Edward II’ starring Joesph Fiennes, which was interesting is a slightly flawed performance. Since the opening of Meadowhall a decade ago shopping in the city centre has been slowly poisoned. There are four main shopping areas: the High Street/Castle Market which features the horrific market and one of the world's most stunningly poor department stores T J Hughs, as well as an excellent new HMV and Boots. Coming off the High Street is Fargate, the most pleasant thoroughfare which has a selection of small branches of most of the household names. Directly opposite Fargate is Devonshire/Division Street which is the main ‘alternative’ shopping area. The much vaunted Forum is a pale imitation of its former glory, threatened with demolition the majority of shops have moved ou t, although to be honest it was never that great anyway. Kind of like Aflecks Palace in Manchester but on a much smaller scale. A couple of great shops along the street are ‘Rocky Horrors’ which sells an interesting selection of skater and gothy gear, although its hideously expensive and doesn’t really have enough stock in my opinion (its more PVC then velvet unfortunately). Freshmens recently left the forum for its own premises and has an excellent selection of retro clothing, although again they make you pay for the privilege. Fopp also merits a mention as a cheap record shop par excellent with a huge variety of CDs at £5. The final shopping area is The Moor, a hideous avenue of dodgy market stalls and £1 shops although surprisingly Woolworths and Debenhams also claim it for their home. It’s one redeeming feature is Music Zone which sells all new CD releases (you see where my priorities lie eh?) for £9.99 or less. I dislike the city centre immensely as you may have noticed. The selection of shops is woeful compared to say Leeds, Manchester of Nottingham, there are few interesting independent shops bar the small selection on Division Street and the main shops are largely small and under stocked. I love the atmosphere and bustle of a big city and Sheffield has none of that, it still feels like a provisional town with ideas above its station. Meadowhall Or Meadowhell as it is affectionately referred to come Christmas time. A shrine to all things consumer, all the big shops are here in much more convincing form than in the city. A massive shopping centre like Manchester’s Trafford centre or the Metro in Newcastle you've seen one you've seen them all. Loads of shops, loads of car parking, sterile air and head ache inducing lights. Yes I hate Meadowhall as well, it’s a pain to get to but has most of the best shops. It’s always too busy, offers almost nothing except the high st reet names and has killed the city centre shops stone dead. There’s also a large cinema and a number of poor restaurants located there but I’ve had enough of talking about it already. You know the score, live in Sheffield and you will not be able to avoid it but you will hate yourself for going there. Nightlife But enough of the negative, lets talk about something that Sheffield excels at. This section is devoted entirely to nightclubs, I’ll give pubs and restaurants their own space and Sheffield does have a number of good clubs. Firstly my favourite but sadly currently closed is Corporation. Those who have studied my musical taste may note that it is firmly in the alternative sector and Corporation meets this need in spades. They have two fantastic nights which currently are residing at the Hallem union (sadly only in one room however). Fridays is Drop/Mystery Machine. One room is quite simply the best indie night I have ever been to playing a mixture of 80s and 90s stuff (ranging from the likes of Placebo and the Longpigs through Blur and the Stone Roses and back to The Smiths, New Order and The Cure), whilst the other caters for skate, punk and US alternative. Tragically it's only this second room that currently features at the NMB (Nelson Mandela Building, the Hallem Union hangs onto its 80s roots with pride). Saturday night is Reservoir Rocks/Hardside which has amusing poodle rock in one room (complete with a load of dodgy 80s throwbacks in far too tight jeans) and a harsh mix on nu-metal, industrial and grunge in the other. The club itself has been demolished but was a terrific place, perhaps slightly seedy looking but featuring plenty of sofas, cheap drinks a decent PA and a great friendly atmosphere. I will miss it terribly. I’ve got so drunk I could barely walk there, first got together with two ex’s there, been dumped there and had some of the best nights of my life (not necessarily at the same time I hasten to add). The new Corporation is set to be huge and plush with six (!?) dance floors but somehow it will never be the same. My other favourite club is the Leadmill, which with the demise of the Roxy is now Sheffield’s oldest club. The club nights there mix from the incredibly cheap University of Shag student night which mixes 60p drinks with cheezy pop in one room and indie in the other to the 'non-cheezy pop' of Royales (ha!). Sadly my favourite night Shag 2 is no more, shame as the music in the indie room was always brilliant and again the crowd were always great. If nothing else I will always hold a great affection for that night as I met my girl friend there, yes I know I’m being soppy so I’ll stop now. Other nights veer from the 80s retro of Planet Earth to the hard dance of Hell. The club is well laid out, never so busy you can’t move and generally a great venue. Sheffield’s most famous club is The Republic which feature the legendery ‘Gatecrasher’. Shockingly I’ve never attended as I know I’d detest every minute of it but I have spent more then the odd drunken binge at less exclusive nights. To be honest the line up is seldom anything to write home about, although monday nights ‘Blessed' allows you to experience Gatecrasher Dj’s at a fraction of the cost. Drinks prices are average but my main bugbear is the ridiculous number of people they cram into the club, you really can’t move in there on most nights. The club only recently reopened after being closed for several months after a drugs raid, although I’ve never really noticed too many dodgy goings on. Bed is also owned by the management of Republic but is by far the superior club. Once the wonderful Music Factory it was completely refurbished by its new owners and painted a very fetching shade of black. Musically it’s largely dance: house , garage stuff mainly. There was a good alternative night there called 'Cigarettes and Alcohol’ but that ended recently. City centre and out of town superclubs Kingdom and Club (*cough*) Wow (stands for world of wonder but often known as world of w**k!) can be summed up in a single word. Hell. Populated almost entirely by either drunken students (early in the week) or drunken 20 somethings (weekends) both clubs are new and modern but fit firmly into the mould of club as venue for rubbish music, expensive drinks and meat market tendencies. I hate them both with a passion. If you care about music or enjoying yourself, or anything else other then pulling then avoid like the plague. Both the students' unions offer similar nights that are cheap and cheerful and largely cheezy. Pop Tarts at the University is always amusing retro 70s/80s as is its Hallem equivalent Stardust. The university also has an excellent indie/alt night by the name of Fuzz Club which has offers you live music and two rooms of indie and alt.rock for your £3. Bargain. There are other clubs of course, the dodgy as hell Uropa, the post Gatecrasher haunt for those who just didn’t get enough, Niche and the inevitable Po Na Na but the above are the main clubs. The Casbah which is a cross between a club and a pub has the odd good night although the drinks can be dear. Drinking So on to the most important matter, Sheffield’s pub scene. To be honest it’s not the best I’ve ever encountered but there are plenty of decent drinking establishments with which to wet your metaphorical whistle. The cities main drinking thoroughfares are West Street and Division Street. West Street if a favourite haunt of students sick of Broomhill (the student village) and those who seek a slightly less pretentious drinking experience. The Cavendish is a massive ‘It’s a Scream’ bar which has all the atmosphere of a b arn and is always packed at weekends, on the other hand it is cheap. The Firkin next door was a favourite of mine with a decent jukebox and good Dj’s on Friday night but it recently shut to make way of an O’Neils. Varsity opposite is without a doubt the king of student pubs, modern stylish, well laid out and again cheap drinks, whilst Scruffy Murphys will satisfy those who really need to drink in a faux Irish atmosphere. Flares, a 70s revival bar recently shut to be replaced by an 80s music bar originally called ‘80s Music Bar’. Division Street is a little more classy and a darn sight more expensive. The Forum is a good bar, albeit achngly trendy, the next door Halcyon is largely the same. At the end of the street live RSPV, a bar with pretensions that it can’t deliver on and a Wetherspoons within which it is impossible to move in after about 8pm at weekends. Within the city centre there isn’t a huge number of great pubs to be honest. The Bankers Draft is another huge Wetherpoons, whilst The Old Monk near the theatres is decent enough pub. There are two excellent rock pubs to be found if you are so inclined, The Dove and Rainbow and The Other Side, both located near the former site of Corporation. The Globe located near the Leadmill is that rarest of things, a good ‘Scream’ pub and comes highly recommended. The student village of Broomhill has more pubs then you can shake a stick at, although the only really good one is my local (less then a minutes walk from my flat) The Broomhill Tavern. Eating Sheffield is a bit hard pressed for really good restaurants to be honest. There are some great ones to be found but they are fairly few and far between. There are large number of Italians along Ecclesall Road, a formally trendy area of the city which is now degenerating into yet another student quarter. Most of them are pretty good but if you want excellent Itali en food the finest to be found is the delightful Cafe Buon Cibo in Broomhill. A tiny little place with only about 12 tables booking is essential but well worth the effort. The food is marvellous and well priced, whilst the bring your own wine policy also helps to keep the bill down. If you want Chinese, your best bet is Candytown on London Road, which although expensive serves best Chinese in the city. If Indian tickles your taste buds avoid the student hell hole which is the infamous Balti King and check out Nirmals on West Street. There are loads of American themed diners on the out of town entertainment complex which also houses the huge UGC cinema and Club Wow. However, if you like this sort of thing and have a large budget the Meadowhall TGI Fridays is the place to head. Culture Yes you might think it is grim up north but there’s plenty of culture in Sheffield if that is what you are looking for. First stop must be the new and much hyped Millennium Galleries. A new purpose built art gallery, the building is very impressive and the space inside is well presented. Sadly there exhibitions to date have been disappointing. Opening exhibition ‘Precious’ was a rag bag of various piece from the V&A with little sense of connection and the most appallingly patronising labels. This has been replaced by a Francis Bacon display, which I am not in a position to comment on as I dislike the artist. The permanent exhibits are little new, they used to be housed in the old Rushton gallery but at least are free to view. The touring exhibition costs £4.50 for adults. The city has the Mappin gallery and Graves art gallery, both of which are free and worth a visit, as is the City Musuem located close to the university and containing some fascinating items including the odd Mummey. I’ve mentioned the theatres already but if you venture further afield, Chatsworth House is half an hours drive a way (childhood home of Elizabeth I) as is Castleton which features a ruined castle and a number of caverns and mines. Sheffield is also in the heart of the Peak District and thus if you fancy walking it's very easy to get to some real countryside. Transport Getting around Sheffield can be problematic, if you drive that is. The road system is simply appalling and rush hour is quite simply a nightmare beyond all comprehension. Public Transport is pretty good considering. The Supertram connects the city with Meadowhall amongst other places and is quick and reliable. Expensive for a single trip the weekly £7 pass saves money and gets you on the buses for 50p as an added bonus. The buses are also not bad. There several all night routes including the 52 which goes connects the city centre to the student quarter of Broomhill/Crookes, ideal after a night out has left you with no taxi money. The buses are average priced, not where near as expensive as say Manchester but not exactly cheap either. Taxi’s are often hard to come by at 2 or 3am and Black cabs are hideously expensive. The minicab firms are much cheaper but hardly likely to win any awards for reliability, the best of a bad bunch is Mercury Cabs but that is hardly a glowing endorsement. Conclusions? Well I’m pretty breathless after writing all that. I think I may have come across a little negative about this city, thing is I have really enjoyed living here. Sheffield is a wonderfully safe place, sure if you leave your car in Parsons Cross it is unlikely to have wheels when you return but I have very seldom felt threatened here. The people are friendly and welcoming, the huge student population gives the city notable diversity and there are few of the racial tensions that tear apart the communities of other northern cities. It has its bad points but so does every city. Goodbye Sheffield, I think I may be back one day.

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Sheffield in South Yorkshire was once the greatest producer of Steel in the whole world. The City built its reputation on quality steel, in particular the craftsmanship that went into the cutlery made there. Today there are only a few small steel companies left in the City, but the decline in the steel industry has not led to the decline of the town. The plight of the steel workers was a problem for a number of years (watch the film – The Full Monty), but the City picked itself up, encouraged new businesses and industry and is now a thriving, vibrant place to live or visit. Sheffield has an excellent location for travel, being on the M1 motorway and with a fast rail link to London. Most of the area of the former steel works is now the excellent Sheffield Airport that is continuing to grow in its popularity and use. The Crucible Theatre in Sheffield has become synonymous with the World Snooker Championship, but also this is the location for many other great productions during the year. The 12,000 seater Sheffield Arena is one of Europe's leading venues for music concerts for international artists including Cliff Richard, Tom Jones and Barry Manilow. The Arena also has an ice-rink facility where stars such as Torville and Dean and other shows have appeared. Major outdoor concerts are held at the Don Valley Stadium where you could have seen the Rolling Stones, Bon Jovi, Michael Jackson, Celine Dion, Tina Turner and others. The City centre has a wonderful shopping area and this is complemented by the famous MeadowHall Shopping Centre, just a few miles out of town. A very good city mixed with the traditional hospitality of the Yorkshire people makes this a great place to be.

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I lived in Sheffield for 5 years and I loved it. I now live somewhere with no atmosphere, which makes me yearn for Sheffield even more. Being a student in Sheffield was great - the uni is lovely, and Broomhill gorgeous. There is such a buzz about the place, and being so close to the Peak District and all that beautiful scenery and walking country is a real advantage. The people are really friendly, public transport fab,and the place holds a great deal of very happy memories for me. My favourite pub in Sheffield was the Ranmoor Inn, up by Ranmoor Halls of Residence. If you want to get away from the 'irish pub/pub chain bug', this is the place to go (or at least was 2 years ago). It serves gorgeous food, and is a proper, traditional English pub. Another favourite was the Grindstone, on the way from Broomhill to Crookes. Another traditional one, if you could get through the door. One of the best things about living in Sheffield was being able to go walking in the Peaks at the weekend. We used to either get the train to somewhere like Edale, or hop on the bus out into the countryside. It really couldn't be easier. If you like walking, it's a dream come true. I know a lot of people look at me strangely when I say I love Sheffield, but I don't care. Of course, the city does have its problems, and not so nice bits, but doesn't everywhere. Its image as a grim, industrial town is still true, but there is a lot about Sheffield that is up and coming, i.e the centre for Popular Music, the Peace Gardens etc. It's great for culture too i.e City Hall, Sheffield Arena, Cathedral, restaurants. It will always have a special place in my heart - and my annual Christmas shopping trip to Meadowhall will never cease to happen!

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Sheffield is one of the coolest and funkiest cities in Britain, due to its wide variety of cultures, it caters for everyones tastes, whether your a student or a pensioner, Sheffield is the best. It is truely one of the friendliest places, everybody knows everybody else!!! As it is builton seven hills, the views are fantastic. Sheffield at night is the most beautiful site. Its a city amongst the countryside, surrounded by Derbyshire and the Peak District National Park, you don't have to go far to go rural. Sheffield city centre is divided up into four main parts, The Moor, Fargate,Division Street and the markets, and they are all in easy walking distance of eachother. There are thousands of shops catering for all styles and tastes. Meadowhall is just outside Sheffield and can be easily reached by bus or tram, and it is a huge shopping complex. For the more alternative shopper there is the Forum on Division Street which is the cool place to be. The Peace Gardens situated in the town centre host a range of georgous fountains, and is like the calm in the eye of the storm. Another hotspot of Sheffield is Ecclesall Road, this is where a lot of the student accomodation is. There are loads of pubs, cafes and restaurants. A large park is situated just up the road(Endcliffe Park) and the wittily named coffee shop "Endcliffe Perk". There are loads of clubs in Sheffield catering for all musical tastes. Gatecrasher at The Republic is one of the most famous, but there is also The Unit(NY SUSHI), and Bed. For the more alternative music listeners there is Corporation and The Casbah, and for pop lovers there is the Leadmill, The Roundhouse and the City Hall(Hot Pants, a 70s night). This is one of the best cities to see live music. With the new National Centre for Popular Music situated in town, live gigs at the leadmill every Saturday and plenty of others, you are never short of music, and with such exports as Pu lp and Moloko, there is a lot of creative energy coming out of this city. It is also a haven for alternative sports. The ski Village is one of the best dry ski slopes in Europe and is a must for snowboarders, and a new skate park has just been built in the centre of town for all the boarders and bladers! To finish, Sheffield just a fab place to live. As the song goes "sometimes you wanna go where everybody knows your name" well that place is Sheffield.

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I lived in Sheff for 3 years, and was very sorry to leave recently. It has everything you could really want from a city. It is leafy, it has friendly people, it has good shopping facilities (namely Meadowhall – the out-of-town shopping centre, and The Forum (the alternative shopping experience “No meadows, no sheep” – says the sign board above the entrance). Fopp is a v. busy but cheap record store for buying (near The Forum), Record Collector in Broomhill for selling (or that bloke at the bottom of The Moor (other shopping district – whose Christmas advertising campaign consisted of a small red poster on the buses saying “There’s Moor Choice for Shopping at The Moor” – that just about sums up the quality of shops down there) Best restaurant: Viva Tequila in Gleadless Best pub: Wetherspoons in town/ The Union in Netheredge, The Phoenix on Derbyshire border Best quiet area: The peace gardens (but not on a day where there is any kind of sunshine – as it turns into a dry lido – with everyone gathering around the fountains – the closest they can get to a beach in Sheffield. Also, Western Park. Best club: Gatecrasher @ The Republic (Sat)/ Stardust (60s/70s/80s) @ Hallam Union (Fri)/ BusStop (70s) @ The Roundhouse (Sat) Great place for students – Ecclesall Road area, Broomhill, and Abbeydale Road are big student areas. Rent is approx £40pw in most student accommodation. Beware “Champs” (bar) on Ecclesall Road on a Friday, Saturday or pretty much any night of the week – it’s usually completely snarled with people. Lovely people, great atmosphere, lots of places to pose looking expensive, beautiful surrounding countryside – Go and move there immediately!!!

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I visited York in August 99, and I found it a bit boring. It is great if you are really interested in the historical side of it, such as the minster and the vikings which were origianly there, but for children, teenagers and young people there is very little of interest. I visited the Jorvick Viking Centre, which I thought was very overrated. All it was was a ten-minute ride in a car around some vikings living in their little huts or whatever, and then a tiny museum about the Vikings in york at the end. The ride seemed absoloutely pathetic (although I am spoiled after visiting the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida!). There is quite a large number of shops and unusual cafes and restaurants in York and plenty of hotels. Also, the car parking is terrible, you have to walk miles to get from the car parks to the main town centre.